“This time, I’m gonna try something new!” I say it so many times when my husband and I visit Kilwins, a franchise candy shop and ice cream parlor that seems to always be on the way home from wherever the heck we’ve been. And if it isn’t already on the way home, we might conjure a reason that we must visit Trader Joe’s, and that makes it on the way home so we have an excuse to stop for a sweet treat.

The ice cream at Kilwins is superb— a huge variety of flavors, deliciously creamy, and big,  generous scoops served up in your choice of three cones (or a bowl if you really can’t wait to just dig in). Les usually gets the one called “Kilwins Tracks,” which is a house version of Moose Tracks, a swirly mess of vanilla ice cream, chocolate-covered peanut butter truffles and trails of thick chocolate fudge. Or he might stray toward the ever-popular sea salt caramel, which is exactly as amazing as you expect it would be. There are dozens of other flavors, including mint chip, cherry, chocolate-coconut, peanut butter, rum raisin, a groovy, tie-dye colored variety called Superman, and even a few additional flavors hiding in the back.

But when I stand there in front of that long glass case, trying to keep my word on choosing  something different from my usual, a wave of sadness comes over me. It isn’t because there aren’t enough delicious options— it’s because I just love the New Orleans Praline Pecan that much. And, for the sake of the growing line of people behind me as much as for myself, I usually just give in and get it. So much for trying something new!

In my defense, I stopped dating other guys when I chose my husband, so why should it matter if I get the same ice cream each and every time? It’s a perfect blend of creamy, sweet, nutty, slightly salty, caramel-y goodness. Naturally, I decided it was time for me to try to re-create this decadent treat at home, and when I found these pecan praline candies last fall at Trader Joe’s, it was exactly the nudge I needed. I have made it a few more times since, and National Ice Cream Month feels like the right time to share it!

The ingredients for this ice cream are pretty simple, and if you have a recipe to make your own candied pecans, all the better! Rather than using regular sweetened condensed milk, as I have started doing in recent years, I use the dulce de leche variety, which has been cooked to a richly caramelized consistency. It is very thick, so you’ll have to use a small scraper to dig it out of the can. I sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt over the caramel for that delicious contrast. Mixing in the milk is a little more challenging with the thick caramel, so I recommend using a handheld electric mixer over trying to whisk it. I also suggest blending in the milk a little bit at a time so you don’t spatter caramel milk all over the kitchen, as I did on my first effort!

It’s easy enough to switch to a whisk for blending in the vanilla and heavy cream, and then cover the bowl and send it to the fridge for several hours to overnight. Unless you have a fancy, professional-style ice cream maker, you always want your base to be super cold before you add it to the freezer bowl for churning.

My Cuisinart machine usually takes about 25 minutes to achieve a perfectly churned consistency. While it’s going, I take a few minutes to break up about a half cup worth of the praline pecans into small pieces. It takes a little extra effort than chopping them, but I don’t end up with all the little shards that are not the most pleasant texture. If they are at most one-quarter the size of a whole pecan, that’s just right. When the ice cream is almost finished, the only step left is adding in the pecans and transferring to an insulated container.

For best results, freeze at least eight hours before enjoying. I should also point out that if you don’t like or cannot eat pecans, you could substitute toffee bits and still enjoy the contrast of a little crunch mixed in. Or, omit them entirely and you’d have sea salt caramel ice cream. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that would be pretty awesome, too!

Praline Pecan Ice Cream

• Servings: About 8
• Prep Time: 15 minutes to make the base; 25 minutes to churn, plus chilling time
• Difficulty: Average
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You only need a few fridge and pantry ingredients to create a specialty ice cream at home. I've relied on a canned dulce de leche milk and store-bought candied pecans to replicate one of my favorite ice cream parlor treats!

Ingredients

• 14 ounce can Nestle’s dulce de leche condensed milk (see ingredient notes below)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup candied pecan pieces

Ingredient Notes: If you cannot find the dulce de leche condensed milk, it’s fine to use regular or fat-free condensed milk in its place. The finished ice cream will not have quite the same caramel-flavored base, but the candied pecans will still provide plenty of praline flavor.

Directions

1. Combine Lechera condensed milk and sea salt in a large bowl or mixing pitcher. Use a handheld mixer to blend in the whole milk, about 1/4 cup at a time to avoid spattering.
2. When the whole milk is completely blended in, add vanilla extract and heavy cream. Switch to a whisk if you wish, or blend only briefly with a mixer to avoid whipping too much air into the cream. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the base mixture several hours to overnight.
3. Freeze ice cream, following manufacturer’s instructions for your model machine. During the last couple of minutes, add the candied pecan pieces to incorporate them throughout the ice cream base. Transfer ice cream to an insulated container and freeze several hours to firm it completely before serving.